South Georgia Cooper Bay, Gold Harbour
This was the day we met South Georgia’s wonderful wildlife. Our first landing was in Cooper Bay where a valley gave the opportunity for a good hike to witness some special species. Light-mantled sooty albatrosses, the most superb of all the albatrosses, glided high overhead, while at our level we saw pairs of South Georgia pipits and pintail. The former are small, brown, sparrow-like birds and the latter are ducks. Both species are found only on South Georgia and both have been wiped out on some parts of the islands by introduced rats.
The afternoon was spent at Gold Harbour. The flat country behind the bay provides one of the great wildlife spectacles of South Georgia - if not the world - in the form of a breeding colony of king penguins. The 19th century sealer James Weddell wrote, “In pride, these birds are perhaps not surpassed even by the peacock, to which in beauty of plumage they are indeed very little inferior.” At this time of year, some king penguins have eggs or small brown chicks, but there were many birds simply standing around on the beach, in small groups or singly. They seemed to be as curious about us as we were about them. If you stood quietly, they would wander up to get a closer look at these strange visitors. Or they would simply continue what they were doing: resting, preening or indulging in a little courtship.
This was the day we met South Georgia’s wonderful wildlife. Our first landing was in Cooper Bay where a valley gave the opportunity for a good hike to witness some special species. Light-mantled sooty albatrosses, the most superb of all the albatrosses, glided high overhead, while at our level we saw pairs of South Georgia pipits and pintail. The former are small, brown, sparrow-like birds and the latter are ducks. Both species are found only on South Georgia and both have been wiped out on some parts of the islands by introduced rats.
The afternoon was spent at Gold Harbour. The flat country behind the bay provides one of the great wildlife spectacles of South Georgia - if not the world - in the form of a breeding colony of king penguins. The 19th century sealer James Weddell wrote, “In pride, these birds are perhaps not surpassed even by the peacock, to which in beauty of plumage they are indeed very little inferior.” At this time of year, some king penguins have eggs or small brown chicks, but there were many birds simply standing around on the beach, in small groups or singly. They seemed to be as curious about us as we were about them. If you stood quietly, they would wander up to get a closer look at these strange visitors. Or they would simply continue what they were doing: resting, preening or indulging in a little courtship.
